Kelly Murphy and Team USA used a silver-medal performance at the FIVB Grand Prix as a primer for the Olympics.
FIVB Grand Prix & Pan Am Cup Gator Medal Count: Four
Monday, July 11, 2016 | Volleyball
Four players proudly represented the Gators in international play last week.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Four Gators added hardware to their collection this weekend in international volleyball competition: two silver medals, one bronze for current Gators Rhamat Alhassan and Alex Holston and a sixth-place finish for rising senior Shainah Joseph and Team Canada at the Pan Am Cup in the Dominican Republic.
The two silver medals belong to two Gator Great All-Americans: Aury Cruz and Kelly Murphy. The veteran Cruz, representing her native Puerto Rico, guided the squad to silver at the Pan Am Cup after squaring off with the home squad in a five-set affair Sunday evening. After making history in guiding Puerto Rico to its first-ever Olympic Games berth, Cruz brushed up by adding a silver medal to her collection at the Pan Am Cup.
Murphy and the No. 1 ranked U.S. Women's National Team capped off a month of FIVB Grand Prix play in Bangkok Sunday with a silver medal following a thrilling five-set affair against Brazil in the final. After being down 2-1, the Americans mounted a valiant comeback in attempt to defend their 2015 title. The contest was a rematch of the past two Olympic gold-medal matches, both of wich saw the U.S. claim silver, and could be a preview of the Olympic Games coming up in Brazil next month. The Americans had swept through the final rounds of the Grand Prix without losing a set prior to Sunday's contest, downing the Netherlands, No. 14 in the latest world rankings, and No. 2 China in pool play before dispatching No. 4 Russia in the semifinal round.
HIGHLIGHTS: Alhassan, Holston & Team USA | Pan Am Cup
USA went 5-0 in pool play at the Pan Am Cup and 6-1 overall on the week, falling only to Aury Cruz and Puerto Rico in the semifinals to advance to the bronze-medal match against Cuba. Both Alhassan and Holston head back to Gainesville sporting bronze medals. Alhassan twice led Team USA in the Pan Am Cup in point production with a team-best 12 points in USA's opener against Peru, and again with 12 in the semifinals against Puerto Rico and Cruz.
On top of that, another honor to sport for the veteran middle blocker Alhassan: Best Blocker of the Pan Am Cup. Alhassan posted 24 roofs through Team USA's seven-match stay in the Dominican Republic.
Holston led the Red, White and Blue in UF's five-set win against Cuba with 16 points, while Alhassan chipped in 15 for a grand total of 31 Gator points in the victory.
HIGHLIGHTS: Shainah Joseph & Team Canada | Pan Am Cup
After making the Volleyball Canada roster last year, Joseph had one more goal: earn playing time. She did just that, topped off with a starting spot last week in the Pan Am Cup in the Dominican Republic.
Not only did Joseph start, she posted double-digit point performances in seven of Volleyball Canada's eight matches in the Dominican Republic, and led the team in point production in six matches. Joseph posted a best 23 points against Cuba as the Canadians fell just shy in the quarterfinals.
Under Joseph's watch, Canada finished pool play 3-2 overall to advance to the quarterfinals before going 2-1 to round out the week for a 5-3 record at the Pan Am Cup and a sixth-place overall finish.
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The two silver medals belong to two Gator Great All-Americans: Aury Cruz and Kelly Murphy. The veteran Cruz, representing her native Puerto Rico, guided the squad to silver at the Pan Am Cup after squaring off with the home squad in a five-set affair Sunday evening. After making history in guiding Puerto Rico to its first-ever Olympic Games berth, Cruz brushed up by adding a silver medal to her collection at the Pan Am Cup.
Murphy and the No. 1 ranked U.S. Women's National Team capped off a month of FIVB Grand Prix play in Bangkok Sunday with a silver medal following a thrilling five-set affair against Brazil in the final. After being down 2-1, the Americans mounted a valiant comeback in attempt to defend their 2015 title. The contest was a rematch of the past two Olympic gold-medal matches, both of wich saw the U.S. claim silver, and could be a preview of the Olympic Games coming up in Brazil next month. The Americans had swept through the final rounds of the Grand Prix without losing a set prior to Sunday's contest, downing the Netherlands, No. 14 in the latest world rankings, and No. 2 China in pool play before dispatching No. 4 Russia in the semifinal round.
HIGHLIGHTS: Alhassan, Holston & Team USA | Pan Am Cup
USA went 5-0 in pool play at the Pan Am Cup and 6-1 overall on the week, falling only to Aury Cruz and Puerto Rico in the semifinals to advance to the bronze-medal match against Cuba. Both Alhassan and Holston head back to Gainesville sporting bronze medals. Alhassan twice led Team USA in the Pan Am Cup in point production with a team-best 12 points in USA's opener against Peru, and again with 12 in the semifinals against Puerto Rico and Cruz.
On top of that, another honor to sport for the veteran middle blocker Alhassan: Best Blocker of the Pan Am Cup. Alhassan posted 24 roofs through Team USA's seven-match stay in the Dominican Republic.
Holston led the Red, White and Blue in UF's five-set win against Cuba with 16 points, while Alhassan chipped in 15 for a grand total of 31 Gator points in the victory.
HIGHLIGHTS: Shainah Joseph & Team Canada | Pan Am Cup
After making the Volleyball Canada roster last year, Joseph had one more goal: earn playing time. She did just that, topped off with a starting spot last week in the Pan Am Cup in the Dominican Republic.
Not only did Joseph start, she posted double-digit point performances in seven of Volleyball Canada's eight matches in the Dominican Republic, and led the team in point production in six matches. Joseph posted a best 23 points against Cuba as the Canadians fell just shy in the quarterfinals.
Under Joseph's watch, Canada finished pool play 3-2 overall to advance to the quarterfinals before going 2-1 to round out the week for a 5-3 record at the Pan Am Cup and a sixth-place overall finish.
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